


A Fool's Thoughts Regarding His Friends

by ThirteenthMouse6572



Category: Beauty and the Beast - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Angst, Bisexual Gaston (Disney), Canon Gay Character, Fluff, Gen, LGBTQ Character, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-06
Updated: 2017-10-03
Packaged: 2018-11-28 14:02:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,309
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11419506
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThirteenthMouse6572/pseuds/ThirteenthMouse6572
Summary: LeFou had a problem. That problem was with the two men sitting either side of him at the tavern.One was his old friend, the other was a newer friend, but a great one nonetheless.And perhaps his problem is that he liked them both a bit more than he probably should.





	1. Chapter 1

LeFou had a problem regarding the two people either side of him.

One, LeFou had been with since they were kids. They hunted together, fought in the war together, and LeFou didn't know what his life would be like now if they had never met.

The other, LeFou had known for a shorter time period than he did the first, but felt the same feelings around them than he did with the first.

LeFou was likely the most sober person in the tavern, even Gaston was on his fifth drink in the past ten minutes. Stanley was closer to sober than drunk, but still loudly talking and gesticulating wildly, it was a miracle that he hadn't spilled his drink. LeFou was pulled out of his thoughts by Gaston, who wrapped an arm around his shoulders roughly - LeFou thought he saw Stanley frown at the action, but it might have just been his eyes playing tricks on him. “LeFou, friend, you have not finished your drink yet!” Gaston said, making LeFou wince slightly at the booming voice in his ear.

LeFou shrugged in reply, removing Gaston’s arm from his shoulders and standing up. “I just don't feel like it right now. I'll see you guys tomorrow.” He aimed the last part at the entire group before walking out of the tavern and towards his own house.

Footsteps followed him out into the crisp night air, and Stanley caught up to him, slowing his pace to walk side by side with the shorter man. “LeFou, what is wrong?” Stanley asked, his breath forming a small cloud in front of him as he talked.

“Nothing’s wrong, Stanley. Why do you ask?” LeFou replied, wrapping his coat tighter around himself from the cold.

Stanley frowned at LeFou, clearly unimpressed with the response. “You are usually very energetic and, no offence, you very rarely leave Gaston’s side.” Stanley pointed to the house where he, Tom and Dick lived together. “Come to my house, you can tell me what's wrong in there if you want.”

With a small smile, LeFou nodded gratefully. Stanley smiled back and took a hold of LeFou’s hand, opening the front door and walking into the house, which was thankfully warmer than outside. Taking off his boots and leaving them at the door, he followed Stanley - who clearly still didn't know the rules of the house he lived in and was trekking dirt on the floor - inside.

“Do you want some tea?” Stanley asked as LeFou sat down at the small table. LeFou shook his head, muttering a small ‘no thank you’ as Stanley sat down beside him at the table. LeFou snuck a small glance at Stanley, whose face was creased in concern for his friend. “Do you want to tell me what is wrong?” Stanley asked, taking the other man’s hands in his own and softly rubbing his thumb over LeFou’s knuckles.

LeFou didn't respond, instead he focused on holding in the tears that were threatening to fall. Stanley seemed to notice the drops of water forming in LeFou’s eyes, slowly lifting a hand up to LeFou’s cheek and wiping away the tears with his thumb. That one small gesture was enough for LeFou to start properly crying, his vision going blurry as he felt the streaks of water running down his cheeks. Stanley looked surprised for a second, before getting up and hugging LeFou gently.

As Stanley hugged him, LeFou took notice of the different ways that Stanley and Gaston comfort him. Stanley is gentle and caring, like one wrong move could shatter LeFou into a million pieces. He let LeFou talk out what was bothering him, or just let him cry into his shoulder without judgment. It was like a motherly kind of love.

Gaston, on the other hand, was more like a father in the ‘cheer LeFou up’ section. He was rougher that Stanley was, but caring nonetheless (even if he would never admit it). Whenever Gaston caught LeFou crying during the war - no matter what it was about - he would sling an arm around LeFou’s shoulders and mess up his hair, telling him stories about when they were younger.

LeFou was pulled out of his thoughts by Stanley’s hand rubbing away stray tears in LeFou’s eyes. LeFou smiled gratefully at Stanley. “If you do not want to talk about what has gotten you so upset, you are welcome to stay here overnight if you want to.” LeFou looked down at Stanley, who had taken a spot crouching in front of LeFou, instead of sitting on the chair behind him.

LeFou shook his head in response to the offer. “I don't want to be a bother,” he said quietly, voice catching in his throat from before.

Stanley placed a hand on top of LeFou’s knee. “Mon ami, you know that Tom and Dick would not mind you staying, and neither do I.”

“Thank you for the offer, Stanley, but I'm sure that Gaston will have a major headache in the morning with the amount of drinks he had.” Stanley laughed a little at the comment. “And nobody knows how to complain about a headache in the morning like Gaston.”

Standing up, Stanley offered LeFou a hand, to which LeFou accepted, and pulled his friend up off the chair. “Do you want me to walk you home?” Stanley offered as they walked to the front door. LeFou pulled on his boots quickly and opened the door, noticing Gaston, Tom and Dick walking, well, it was more like stumbling, out of the tavern.

“I would love you to, but it seems that you have two others to look after.” LeFou pointed to the three at Stanley’s tilted head. Stanley sighed once he noticed the group, getting a small chuckle out of LeFou. “I'm sure those two aren't as bad as Gaston.”

Stanley raised an eyebrow, but once he looked back at the three, who had noticed Stanley and LeFou standing in the doorway, he looked at LeFou with a sympathetic look. “I would love to help you with Gaston, but I will stay with Tom and Dick.”

“Good idea,” LeFou smiled. “Thank you, by the way.”

Stanley nodded. “Anything for you, mon ami,” he said with a smile.

LeFou walked out into the night air once again, reaching Gaston and the others very quickly. He pointed Tom and Dick to Stanley, before walking slowly with Gaston to his house. Gaston was talking about something, but LeFou was too tired to decipher the slurred words. Although he did catch the names ‘Adam’ and ‘Belle’ in there somewhere, so it was possible he was talking about the Incident that happened a few months ago.

LeFou knew that some villagers still resented Gaston for that, but Prince Adam and Belle both forgave him publicly at the ball they had held once Prince Adam was changed back from being the Beast by the enchantress. And if any of the villages tried to berate Gaston for hurting the Prince, either Tom, Dick, Stanley or LeFou was by his side to back him up.

“LeFou?” Gaston’s voice sounded very close to LeFou’s ear, making the shorter man jump slightly.

“Yes, Gaston?” LeFou asked, looking over at Gaston, who seemed a lot closer than he was when they started walking.

“You're my best friend, you know that?”

LeFou frowned. “Yes. Why do you ask?”

Gaston grinned at him. “Just wanted to make sure you knew.”

LeFou was very confused at the statement, but shook it off as the alcohol getting to Gaston’s brain.

Once the two arrived at Gaston’s house, LeFou quickly unlocked the door with the key that Gaston had given him for these moments in particular. Trying to get Gaston to the bedroom without either of them tripping over was a skill LeFou wasn't proud to say he had.

“LeFou, friend,” Gaston mumbled once LeFou had manoeuvred him into the bed.

“Mmm?” LeFou hummed in question.

“You're my best friend.”

“You told me that before, Gaston,” LeFou said, filling a cup with water and placing it on the table beside Gaston’s bed.

“Well, never forget it.” Before LeFou could reply, the room was filled with Gaston’s snores. LeFou shook his head in amusement and headed for the front door, closing it behind him and heading for his own house.

As LeFou walked home, he heard laughter coming from the tavern, which would probably stay there until some ungodly time in the morning. Once he reached his house, LeFou removed his coat and collapsed onto his bed, sighing as his mind once again wandered back to his little problem.

LeFou didn't let himself think to much into each man’s character, since it would be a miracle if either one of them didn't think him crazy for not finding women attractive, let alone either one of them staying friends with him if he ever told them he liked them more than he probably should.

He reluctantly got off his bed and changed into his sleepwear before crawling underneath his blanket, closing his eyes and trying to fall asleep to the sound of muffled shouting from the tavern. Unfortunately, his mind kept wandering back to Stanley and Gaston, no matter how much he tried to think about something else.

LeFou, once again, thought about the differences between Stanley and Gaston, which was something that he didn't know why his mind thought of.

Stanley was a more feminine man, liking to style his hair, put on (light amounts of) makeup and wear what he called ‘pretty clothes.’ He was caring, sweet and charming, making LeFou wonder why no woman had gone after him yet. Stanley always offered to let LeFou stay at his home, whether it be because Gaston was being, what he called, ‘a bit of an ass,’ or if LeFou was too tired (or drunk) to walk to his own house without crashing into something.

Gaston was more protective than Stanley, often offering to punch someone who had hurt LeFou in anyway, which had happened more than LeFou thought was necessary. He was rough, often punching LeFou on the arm harder than he meant to, and he was more independent than Stanley. Although Gaston could have any woman he wanted (most of the time), he rejected or ignored any of their advances. When LeFou asked him about it, he reasoned that he would “rather have the freedom to do what I like rather than settle down with a wife.”

LeFou pushed these thoughts as far back into his mind as he could, turning over in his bed and closing his eyes tighter. Once he finally fell asleep, the sun was almost peaking up over the horizon.

<>–<>–<>–<>

Anyone walking through the town would have definitely noticed LeFou sitting on the edge of the fountain, humming along to some unheard song in his mind. While LeFou was humming along to something, it was a specific song. The song he sung in the tavern a couple of nights before The Incident, which he had creatively named ‘Gaston’.

A couple of people had approached LeFou, asking what he was doing on the fountain and why he wasn't with Gaston or Stanley. Each time he was asked, he just shrugged and smiled at the person who asked. After a while of sitting on the fountain, LeFou heard a commotion coming from the entrance to the small town. Standing up, LeFou decided to investigate what was so interesting to the townsfolk.

Walking up to the crowd, LeFou saw a carriage drawn by two white horses stop in town. Making his way to the front of the crowd with apologies whenever he bumped someone, LeFou noticed someone he hadn't seen in a while step out of the carriage, followed by her husband.

“Belle?” LeFou asked, walking up to her. Once Belle noticed LeFou, she smiled and waved at him.

“Hello, LeFou. It’s been a while since we last spoke.” Belle hugged LeFou once he got close enough. Adam smiled at LeFou as well once he exited the carriage. Belle looked around, frowning when she didn't find what she was looking for. “Where's Gaston? Or Stanley?”

LeFou shrugged. “They went out on a hunting trip for a few days.”

Belle turned to Adam and said something to him quietly, to which he nodded and went around the carriage to tell the servant driving. Belle turned back to LeFou. “Why aren't you with them? You're usually never away from Gaston’s side.”

“I decided that some time away from Gaston would be good. Besides, I didn't really feel up to the hunting trip,” LeFou explained. Adam returned from his talk with the servant, who had turned the carriage around and was riding out of the village.

Belle nodded in response to LeFou’s explanation, but something told LeFou she wasn't exactly satisfied with the answer. “Anyways, Adam and I have decided to stay in the village for a week to get away from the castle.”

LeFou smiled at her. “I'm assuming you're going to be staying in your old house?” he asked, walking alongside Belle as she walked through the village.

Adam nodded, adjusting his grip on the bag in his hand. “We are. Belle has told me that nobody has used it since she moved in to the castle.”

“Nobody has had any reason to use it,” LeFou said. “Also, I believe there might be some of Maurice's old trinkets and drawings in there. And, no offence to you Belle, nobody wants to touch them for fear of hurting themselves or breaking something.”

Belle laughed a little. “I'm glad nobody has wanted to touch anything. I was afraid that we would have nowhere to stay.”

“I would have let you stay at my house if you wanted to,” LeFou said as they reached Belle and Maurice's old home.

“Oh, LeFou. I wouldn't have wanted to push you out of your own home,” Belle said softly as Adam opened the front door and walked in with their bags.

LeFou shrugged. “I'm sure Tom, Dick and Stanley would have let me stay with them. If not then, then Gaston would have.” Belle narrowed her eyes slightly, but didn't comment on the statement. “Anyway, I had better go home. I hope you like your stay in this quaint town,” LeFou said the second part in a lightly joking tone, mock bowing.

Belle laughed sweetly, and if LeFou wasn't what Tom and Dick called a ‘men's man’ - and if Belle wasn't married to the Prince - LeFou probably would've fallen in love right then. “Have a good day, LeFou. I'm sure we'll run into each other again,” Belle said, waving goodbye to LeFou as she followed Adam into the house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading the first chapter. I don't have a schedule for uploading but I will update as soon as possible.
> 
> This isn't beta-ed, so please point out any spelling/grammar mistakes. Constructive criticism  
> is appreciated.
> 
> Kudos and Comments are greatly appreciated, I read all of the comments!


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tom and Dick confront Stanley about his affections towards men. More specifically, towards LeFou.

Stanley ran a hand down his coat, removing the dust from it. He looked around at his friends as he stood up. Tom was sharpening sticks into little spears, throwing them at the ring of stones they had put down to mark the middle of the camp. Stanley wasn't sure why they had done that, but Dick had insisted they do it, saying something like ‘it'll be where the fire is.’ Stanley wasn't sure why the fire had to be in the middle of the camp, but Dick seemed to know what he was doing, so he didn't question it.

Gaston had left the camp a couple minutes ago for some unknown reason. Stanley noticed Tom and Dick talking about something, glancing over at Stanley once in a while. As Stanley walked up to them, Tom and Dick stopped their conversation but shared knowing glances.

Before Stanley could ask any questions, Tom stood up from the fallen tree he was sitting on. “Stanley, we've noticed something.” At Stanley’s confused expression, Tom sighed and patted Stanley on the back, pushing him slightly towards the space next to Dick. Once Stanley sat down, Tom elaborated on his statement.

“We've noticed something about you regarding LeFou,” Tom said. Stanley shook his head and started to stand up, but Dick put a hand on his thigh, pushing him back down. “Stanley, we know that you're more of a ‘men man,’ you know?”

Stanley frowned slightly. “What does that even mean?”

Dick started to softly run his hand across Stanley’s thigh. “He means that we've noticed you look at men the way that most men look at women. And we’ve noticed that your gaze is usually directed towards LeFou,” Dick explained.

At a loss for words, Stanley settled for frowning at Dick. “I have no idea what you're talking about. LeFou and I are just good friends.”

Tom made a humming noise that sounded like a mock agreement. “And I'm guessing that two people - two men - who are ‘just good friends’ usually dance with each other as a man usually would with a woman?”

Stanley huffed, unimpressed with the comments. He stood up from the log, feeling a weird sensation on his thigh from where he had gotten used to Dick’s hand sitting on it. “I don't know what you two are talking about, but LeFou and I are just friends. And that time at the ball was an accident.”

“What are you three arguing about?” Gaston’s voice interrupted the conversation as he walked into the clearing.

Stanley shook his head. “Nothing,” he replied.

Gaston frowned. “Stanley, you were clearly talking about something personal. You are blushing.” Stanley’s eyes widened and he stuttered, trying to find an excuse for why he was blushing.

“It’s, it’s just cold?” Stanley tried to sound confident, but it came out like more of a question.

Gaston frowned and narrowed his eyes at Stanley, before laughing loudly. “Do not worry, Stanley,” Gaston boomed, which was something he did every time he talked. “Tom, come hunting for our dinner with me?”

That was something that had changed in Gaston since the Incident. He no longer told people what to do, he usually asked, albeit he was still loud. The only time he did tell someone what to do was when he was angry, but then LeFou was usually at his side to calm him down.

Tom nodded in response to Gaston’s question, pushing himself off the log and grabbing his bow and slinging a quiver of arrows onto his back. Gaston mounted his horse, and Tom handed him his musket. Stanley and Dick watched them leave into the trees, before Dick grabbed Stanley’s hand, quietly standing up and grabbing Stanley’s other hand.

Stanley tilted his head in question to Dick’s actions. Dick started tugging Stanley towards the small area of covered ground, made out of various sticks and grass leaning against a low-hanging tree branch. Dick sat down on the grass underneath the shelter, still holding onto Stanley’s hands and making Stanley sit down with him.

“Dick, what are you-” Stanley was interrupted by Dick lifting up a finger to shush him.

“Stanley, you can deny it all you want, but both Tom and I noticed the way you look at LeFou.” Stanley opened his mouth to argue but closed it again when he realised that Dick wasn't going to accept any of his excuses. “Hey,” Dick ran a thumb across Stanley’s knuckles, “if it makes you feel any better, Tom and I, uh, we’ve been ‘together’ for a few weeks now.”

Stanley was quiet for a while before he grinned at Dick. “Dick, I already know about that,” he laughed.

Dick was taken aback by Stanley’s statement. “What? Did Tom tell you?”

“Dick, I live with you and Tom. I know what love looks like, be it between a man and woman, or two men,” Stanley explained.

Blushing, Dick let go of Stanley’s hands. Stanley instantly noticed the difference in temperature, tucking his hands underneath his legs to warm them up again. Dick looked confused at Stanley’s actions. “Your hands were warming up mine and now they're cold,” Stanley explained. Dick smiled, shaking his head at Stanley.

Stanley sucked in a deep breath. “You and Tom are right, Dick,” he started. “I may or may not like LeFou a bit more than the traditional friendship between men, no offence, Dick,” Stanley said, hanging his head to avoid Dick’s gaze.

“See? That wasn't so hard, was it?” Dick said, laughing quietly He put two of his fingers underneath Stanley’s chin and pushed upwards softly. Stanley lifted his head up and met Dick’s eyes, smiling back at Dick, albeit half-heartedly.

“But LeFou isn't into men,” Stanley said sadly.

Dick huffed in laughter. “Stanley, while you two were drunk, he literally called you ‘mon amour.’ You still think he isn't into men?”

“Dick, were you paying attention to LeFou’s song to cheer Gaston up? If he were into men then I’m sure that he's in love with Gaston,” Stanley started to stand up. “He hasn't known me for very long anyway. He’s known Gaston since they were children, they went to war together, and evenly after the Incident, LeFou still cared for him even after Gaston shot the Prince in the back. Three times.”

Dick stood up with Stanley. “Why don't you just ask him if he likes men?” Stanley slapped him for that comment, a bit harder than he needed too. Dick stood holding his cheek in shock, and Stanley gasped, holding his hands over his mouth.

“Dick, oh I'm so sorry!” Stanley held Dick’s face in his hands and pressed their foreheads together. “I didn't mean it. Well, I did mean to slap you but I didn't mean to slap you that hard.”

Dick laughed. “Don't worry, Stanley, it didn't hurt much. I was just shocked.”

“But I can't just go up to LeFou and ask him if he likes men. That would be weird, and it would be awkward if he doesn't like men,” Stanley sighed.

“Maybe you could just ask if he likes someone already?” Dick suggested, wrapping an arm around Stanley’s shoulder

“That’d be suspicious, don't you think?” Stanley said, linking his fingers with Dick’s hand, which was hanging by his shoulder.

Dick nodded thoughtfully. “I suppose that would be suspicious. You could try and drop hints that you like him?” Stanley’s grip tightened a bit on Dick’s hand. “Okay, maybe that's not a good idea.”

Stanley shook his head. “No, it's just that I've been doing that for a while now and he hasn’t said anything about it to me. And we both know he is more observant than Gaston.” Dick laughed at the statement.

Both men were silent for a while, before Dick spoke quietly, “Maybe you should just tell him the truth?” Stanley tensed, letting go of Dick’s hand. Dick removed his arm from Stanley’s shoulders and looked at Stanley with concern. “Stanley? Are you okay?” Dick walked in front of his friend, cupping Stanley’s cheek with his hand. 

“I’m fine, Dick,” Stanley smiled half-heartedly as Dick, who smiled sadly back.

“Come on, we should get a fire going. It's getting late, and Gaston and Tom should be back soon,” Dick said, dropping his hand from Stanley’s face. Stanley nodded, breathing deeply and walking towards the ring of stones, where Tom’s stick spears were still lodged in the ground at weird angles. Stanley picked the sticks out of the ground and rearranged them into a less messy pile.

Dick walked over soon after, with a pile of tinder which was glowing with small embers. Dick threw it on the pile, creating a small flame, which he placed onto the stick pile. After a few seconds, the sticks started to burn, making the fire grow until it was casting heat onto Stanley and Dick’s faces.

As Dick predicted, Tom and Gaston arrived shortly after the fire was lit, a deer carcass draped over Gaston’s horse. After Tom put the musket and his bow and arrows away, he walked towards Dick and patted his back in what looked like, to anybody else, a friendly gesture, although Stanley knew it was their way of showing affection when there were other people around.

Gaston had already taken the deer and sat down on a large tree root, starting to skin the animal carefully. Stanley had never learned how to properly skin animals, and although he was skilled with sewing fabrics together, he found it difficult to remove an animal's pelt without ripping or cutting it by accident.

The rest of the night went by in a blur for Stanley. Once Gaston had finished skinning the deer and carving off the meat, Dick and Tom cooked it over the fire. Neither one of the two men questioned why Stanley was quiet, and while Gaston sent some confused looks Stanley's way, he didn't say anything about it.

Dick had approached Stanley a couple times while he and Tom were cooking the meat, but Stanley hadn't participated in the conversation, so it had looked like Dick was just talking to himself while Stanley just happened to be next to him.

After they had finished eating, Gaston stood up and asked Stanley to follow him. They both mounted their horses and Gaston led Stanley out of the forest and onto a hill, where Stanley could see one of the entrances to the village on the hill opposite the two. Gaston dismounted his horse and walked over to where Stanley was still atop his.

“Stanley, my friend. I understand that you and LeFou are very close?” Gaston asked.

Stanley started to panic slightly. If Gaston wanted to have the same conversation that Tom and Dick had already had with him, then Stanley wouldn't know what to say. Gaston and LeFou almost never left each other's side, which made Stanley wonder why LeFou hadn't come on the hunting trip with them. While LeFou wasn't an amazing shot, nor was he good at skinning animals, he was great a cooking the meat Gaston hunted, and he always made the travel fun.

Stanley remembered that Gaston was waiting for an answer, so he hesitantly nodded his head. Gaston grinned. “Good! Because I was wondering what I should get him for his birthday.” Stanley let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.

“I'm not sure, Gaston. You've been friends with LeFou longer than I've even known him. I'm sure you'd know what to get him,” Stanley replied, sliding off his horse.

“That's the thing, I've known him since we were children, and every year on his birthday I have no idea what to get him,” Gaston explained.

“You should ask him what he wants. I've only ever gotten presents for and from my sisters and mother, so I don't really know what to get for a man,” Stanley said. Gaston laughed at the statement, throwing an arm around Stanley’s shoulders.

Looking up at the cloudless sky, where the stars twinkled brightly, Stanley turned his head to Gaston, who was also looking up at the stars, a soft look in his eyes. “We should probably go back to camp. Tom and Dick will probably be wondering where we are,” Stanley suggested.

Turning his head to meet Stanley’s eyes, Gaston seemed very close to Stanley. “I'm sure they wouldn't mind if we stayed away from the camp for a bit longer,” Gaston said, a knowing look on his face. Stanley smiled, nodding slightly.

“I'm sure they wouldn't, but I would like to get back to camp before we encounter any wolves, not to mention we don't have anything to defend ourselves with.” Stanley lightly pushed Gaston's arm off his shoulders and mounted his horse.

Gaston nodded in reply, mounting his horse and leading Stanley down the hill and into the forest. As they rode, Stanley noticed how LeFou could have fallen in love with the man in front of him. Gaston rode with a confidence that looked like he was once again leading his men into battle to fight the enemy, not leading a friend through a forest to return to a small camp. Stanley had never gone to the war, much preferring to stay at home with his mother and his sisters, who had taught him how to sew.

Their journey to the camp ended rather quickly, as the light from the dimming fire guided Gaston and Stanley the last few metres back to the clearing. As Stanley finished tying up his horse to a sturdy tree branch, Gaston walked in front of him. “Thanks for sticking with me, Stanley,” he said, absentmindedly stroking Stanley's horse’s nose. “I know that some of the villagers still despise me for what I did.”

Stanley laughed. “Well, I know three people who definitely aren't part of that group. Besides Tom, Dick and LeFou.” Gaston smirked knowingly. “Anyway,” Stanley continued, “Prince Adam formally forgave you for your actions, so they don't really have any solid reason to hate you.”

Gaston nodded. “Goodnight, Stanley.”

“Goodnight, Gaston,” Stanley replied, stifling a yawn in the process. As soon as Stanley settled down and closed his eyes, he fell asleep to the quiet sounds of crickets and the crackling of the dimming fire.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, this chapter was not beta-ed, so feel free to point out any mistakes on my part.
> 
> Constructive criticism is appreciated.
> 
> Kudos and Comments are gratefully accepted. I read all the comments!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "He's dead. You have to accept that nobody could have survived a fall that high, mon ami.”

_LeFou pressed his horse to go faster. He could hear people behind him on their horses, following him as he rode frantically towards where Belle had told him to go. The pathway had become unrecognisable underneath him, but LeFou felt like he had been here before, like he knew exactly where he was going._

_He pulled his horse to a stop when he saw the pile of rubble. Dismounting rather inelegantly, LeFou raced towards the rubble. Noticing a red coat that could only belong to one person, he looked over at Tom, Dick and Stanley, who had followed him on horseback. He yelled at them to help move the rubble, but they just stood there. Stanley looked at the ground sadly, while Tom and Dick shared a look._

_LeFou narrowed his eyes at them, but started to pull the rubble away himself. He knew that the man under the rubble had to be alive. LeFou didn't know what he would do with his life without him._

_Moving a particularly heavy piece rubble, LeFou saw the body of the man he had followed everywhere. LeFou had followed the man into the war, he had followed him through the forest as he hunted, he had even followed him to a cursed castle to defeat a beast._

_LeFou looked down the the man, hoping - expecting - to find him alive, no matter how unlikely it would be, LeFou knew deep down that he was alive. He had been through this before, and he had been alive then. Well, the man had been beaten and bruised, but he was alive._

_This time, though, when LeFou looked down, he saw blood._ So much blood _. He didn't even think the human body had that much blood in it. One of the man’s arms was bent at an unnatural angle, and there was a distinct lack of breathing. LeFou started to panic. This wasn't how it was supposed to go. He was supposed to be looking down at a very-much-alive Gaston._

_LeFou felt tears streaking down his face, but he didn't wipe them away. He kneeled down on a flat piece of rock that used to be a bridge. He moved Gaston's head onto his lap, getting blood on his hands in the process. LeFou leant down and pressed his forehead to Gaston’s._

_A hand touched LeFou’s shoulder softly, making the man jump. LeFou looked up at the person who touched him, and his eyes met with Stanley, whose body was blurred from the tears in LeFou’s eyes._

_“LeFou,” Stanley said softly, “he's dead. You have to accept that nobody could have survived a fall that high, mon ami.”_

_When Stanley finished the sentence, a large bolt of lightning lit up the sky, and LeFou’s vision went black._

<>–<>–<>–<>

LeFou woke up abruptly, feeling tears falling down his face. He was breathing heavily, still shaken from his nightmare. LeFou slowly got out of bed, not trusting his legs to hold him up if he got up quickly. He looked out the window, seeing the sun just poking out over the horizon, meaning that none of the other villagers would be up, save for maybe the odd man who would be stumbling around the village in a drunken stupor.

Grabbing his coat and quickly pulling on his shoes, LeFou left his house and trekked the distance between his house and Gaston’s. He needed to make sure that Gaston was still there, that his nightmare really was a nightmare and that his friend was still alive.

Once LeFou reached Gaston's front door, he held up a fist to knock, before thinking better of it. He didn't want to wake Gaston, although if Gaston was already awake, he wouldn't exactly have an excuse to just be walking into the house like it was his own. Having a nightmare wasn't the best excuse for barging in.

LeFou opened the door and walked in, closing it behind him. His immediate area of vision lacked any sight of Gaston, but if anything Gaston would still be asleep upstairs, so LeFou walked up the stairs, avoiding the one that he knew squeaked loudly if anybody stepped on it.

Walking up to Gaston’s bedroom door, LeFou hesitantly pushed the door open. Stepping inside, LeFou looked around at the bedroom’s decorations quickly. Almost everything has some part of it made of deer antler. Gaston wasn't wrong when he said he used antlers in all his decorating.

LeFou’s eyes fell onto Gaston's bed, where he was expecting to see Gaston sleeping, but instead he was met with a blanket haphazardly thrown onto the bed. LeFou started to panic once again, breathing heavily as he leant against the bedroom wall. LeFou knew he needed to calm down, since he wasn't thinking clearly. Stanley had taught him how to calm down when he started to panic. He just needed to take deep breaths and think of either him or Gaston. Well, Stanley had said ‘think of something that makes you happy’ but for LeFou, that was Stanley and Gaston.

After a few minutes, LeFou had calmed himself down enough to remember that Gaston had taken Tom, Dick and Stanley on a hunting trip. He reminded himself that they would return the next day.

Too shaken up to walk back to his own house, LeFou pushed himself off the wall and shakily walks towards Gaston’s bed, which was much bigger than LeFou’s own. Wrapping the blanket around himself, LeFou leaned against the wall the bed was pressed against. He closed his eyes, falling asleep to the quiet sounds of birds flying over the village.

<>–<>–<>–<>

When LeFou woke, the first thing he noticed was the moon shining through the window, meaning he had slept through the day. The second thing he noticed was that he was in Gaston’s bed. It wasn't a strange occurrence, he stayed in Gaston’s house when he was looking after Gaston during the time after the Incident.

LeFou stood up, rubbing his neck where it had hurt from sleeping at a weird angle. He decided that he would go for a ride in order to clear his thoughts, as the noise from the tavern was going to keep him up for the rest of the night.

Walking out of the bedroom, LeFou contemplated on going to his own house to get some food for the ride, but decided against it, as he was only going for a walk to clear his mind, then he would return to the village.

LeFou left Gaston’s house, closing the front door behind him, and walked towards the stable. He was greeted by some of the horses neighing. He stroked Gaston’s horse on the nose as he passed him, before going to his own horse and untying her. He quietly prepared to go riding, making sure not to make to much noise. Once he finished, LeFou mounted his horse and lead her out of the stable and towards the entrance to the village.

After what felt like a few minutes, LeFou noticed that he was in a part of the forest he had never seen before, or at least he didn’t recognise it. Underneath him, a pathway was partly visible, so LeFou decided to turn his horse around and follow it back the way he came, hoping that it would lead him to a part of the forest he recognised.

As LeFou rode, he felt like someone was following him, so he pressed his horse on faster, hoping to get back to the village before it got so late that he couldn’t see anything. His horse halted abruptly, surprising LeFou. Looking around, LeFou heard leaves crackling underneath something. At first, LeFou assumed that it was just the wind, but then he noticed there wasn’t any wind, so he turned his head, looking for whoever - or whatever - was following him.

A growl sounded from his right, and he whipped his head over to be met face-to-face with a wolf that stood on an overhang. LeFou yelled at his horse to go, pressing his heels into her sides. The horse took off, galloping through the forest. LeFou didn’t pay attention to the way he was going, his mind racing with the thoughts of going faster.

At a crossroads, a wolf jumped down on the path in front of LeFou, making his horse rear up and throw him off. LeFou landed hard on the forest floor, knocking the breath out of his lungs. He heard his horse running off, although he didn’t know what direction she ran in. LeFou pushed himself off the floor, stumbling a bit. A howl echoed close to LeFou, and without thinking he ran down a path, hoping to somehow outrun the wolves.

LeFou ran faster than he had ever run in his life, faster than he thought he could run. His breath came out in quick bursts, and by the time LeFou could no longer hear the wolves he was even more lost than he was before.

The night had gotten darker when LeFou was running, and the large trees didn’t help LeFou’s problem, letting in almost no light from the moon. Following the now barely visible path, LeFou wandered through the forest, hoping to find something he recognised, even though with the lack of light, LeFou didn't think he would recognise anything.

LeFou scrunched up his nose as he felt something cold and wet drop onto it. Another dripped onto his head, and as LeFou looked to the sky, raindrops were coming down hard on his face. LeFou shivered as the night became colder, and he looked around for something to stand under to wait out the storm.

Noticing a cave nearby, LeFou trudged through the muddying ground, half tripping over a hidden tree root on the way. The ground near the entrance of the cave was slowly turning to mud, but as LeFou walked further in, the ground slowly turned dry, as the rain couldn't reach the back of the cave. LeFou found a spot on the ground with the least amount of dirt and slowly sat down.

LeFou shivered again as wind blew through the cave, making his already cold and wet clothes even colder. He hadn't anticipated that it would rain, nor did he anticipate that he would get lost in the woods, so the clothes he was wearing were not suited for protecting LeFou against the cold. Looking around the small cave, LeFou found nothing he could start a fire with. Sighing, he leaned against the wall of the cave, bringing his knees to his chest and wrapping his arms around them.

LeFou closed his eyes, hoping to block out the sounds of the storm outside. A bolt of lightning lit up the sky, followed immediately by a loud clap of thunder, making LeFou flinch. The rain came down from the sky like bullets hitting the ground, reminding LeFou of his days in the war, where neither side was willing to risk going out into the thunderstorm to fight, so he and Gaston were stuck in their shared tent as the lightning lit up the sky outside like cracks in the clouds. Every time the thunder that followed echoed throughout the camp, LeFou would tighten his grip on Gaston’s hand.

LeFou focused on that memory, pushing any of the bad ones to the back of his mind. He didn't need to think of those memories without Gaston around. Gaston knew how to pull him back to reality if anything happened, and usually they would both end up falling asleep in Gaston's bed, which LeFou wasn't against.

Another bolt of lightning flashed outside, followed by the clap of thunder. LeFou flinched again and pressed his back closer to the cave wall, burying his face in his knees. The sky outside was pitch black, so dark that LeFou could barely see the silhouettes of the trees outside when he opened his eyes, only seeing them when lightning struck.

Screwing his eyes shut once again, LeFou hummed a song to distract himself from the loud noises. Gaston had taught LeFou a song to calm him down when he was alone during thunderstorms and LeFou was surprised that he remembered it, since it was so long ago that he had needed to use it last.

The humming eventually calmed down LeFou enough for him to fall asleep, even as the storm outside was raging on, whipping the trees leaves around in the wind and lighting up the sky with bolts of lightning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry to everyone who loves LeFou as much as I do! I promise this chapter was necessary to get into fluffy stuff for future chapters!
> 
> Please point out any mistakes you find, as this is no beta-ed. Constructive criticism is appreciated.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I don't want to have this conversation with LeFou right there,” Stanley said. “If you want to be more comfortable, just pretend you're going to sleep normally without LeFou and I here."

Gaston lead the three other men through the familiar path of the forest. The thunderstorm last night had made the ground muddy, so occasionally one of the horses slid a little, but the four eventually got to the village safely.

The four rode their horses to the stables, where Tom and Dick offered to bring the pelts of the deer to Pierre, who had let Gaston use his hunting dogs on the last hunting trip. As they left, Stanley brought up the fact that they hadn't seen LeFou since they arrived.

“That is odd,” Gaston hummed. “Usually he would have met us somewhere in the village by now.”

Stanley shrugged, untangling his horse’s mane with his fingers. “Maybe he slept in?” he suggested.

Gaston nodded. “I wouldn't be surprised. I will go to his house and see if he is there,” Gaston declared.

“I'll be at home if you need me.” Stanley tied up his horse, waving goodbye to Gaston as he walked out of the stable and down the paved ground towards his shared house.

After Gaston tied up his horse, he walked through the town towards LeFou’s house. Once he arrived, he opened the door and walked inside, finding no trace of the shorter man in his sight. Figuring that Stanley had been right and that LeFou had probably slept in, Gaston walked to the door that lead to LeFou’s room, opening it slowly in case the man was asleep.

Gaston opened the door fully, immediately noticing a distinct lack of LeFou in the room. Checking the room again, Gaston noticed that LeFou’s coat was still hanging off a chair in the bedroom. Gaston turned and left the house, deciding that LeFou couldn't have gone far without his coat.

Remembering the thunderstorm last night, and that he and LeFou would often stay at his house during thunderstorms, Gaston walked the short distance between his and LeFou’s houses in search for LeFou. He opened the door and scaled the stairs two at a time, skipping the one that creaked.

Gaston frowned when he didn't find LeFou in the bedroom. The blankets on the bed had been messed up, signalling that someone had been in the bed previously. Gaston walked back down the stairs, wondering where LeFou could be. It was possible that he had gone into the market, but he never left without his coat.

Beginning to fear the worst, Gaston quickly started to walk to Stanley's house in case he had found LeFou on his way home. While lost in thought, Gaston ran into someone - literally. He was about to apologise, when he noticed who it was.

“Belle?” Gaston said, startled.

“Gaston,” Belle said sweetly, although she always talked like that. “I'm assuming you're looking for LeFou?”

Gaston nodded slowly, forgetting about his surprise. “Yes! Have you seen him anywhere?”

“I saw him ride out into the forest last night, but I’m not sure if he returned or not,” Belle explained. “I would go out and find him if I were you, since it did rain last night.”

Gaston smiled at her gratefully. “Thank you, Belle!” He turned and ran the rest of the way to Stanley's house, deciding that it would be easier to find LeFou with another person by his side.

Gaston quickly knocked on the door, which was answered by Stanley. “Gaston! Did you find LeFou yet?” Stanley asked, leaning on the edge of the door.

“No, but I ran into Belle on the way here, and she saw LeFou ride out into the forest last night-” Gaston was interrupted by Stanley holding up a hand.

“Hold on. Belle is in town?” Stanley asked, disbelief on his face.

Gaston nodded quickly. “Yes, but she said that she hadn't seen LeFou return from the forest.” Stanley's eyes widened in shock.

“He could be lost somewhere. And the thunderstorm last night wouldn't have helped him get home,” Stanley said, pulling on his coat quickly. “We should go after him.”

“That's what I was planning on,” Gaston replied.

Once Stanley had closed the door, he and Gaston ran through the town towards the stables, mounting their horses and riding out of town. They were a ways into the forest when Stanley stopped his horse, making Gaston halt as well. “Gaston, we have no idea where LeFou went. He could have gone anywhere.”

Frowning, Gaston looked around. “I know this path, there's a split up ahead and I've only ever taken LeFou down one of them. And that path only goes one way, so there's no way he could've gotten lost,” Gaston explained. As he started riding again, he turned to Stanley. “Stay close to me, it is very easily to get lost in the forest, and we're already looking for LeFou.”

Stanley nodded, keeping his horse close to Gaston’s as they rode. They came to the fork in the road and as they turned to ride down it, a black and white object was running towards them. Gaston recognised it as LeFou’s horse, quickly dismounting and stopping the horse, calming her down. He looked at Stanley, who wore a worried expression on his face.

Without exchanging words, Gaston mounted his own horse and started leading LeFou’s horse behind him, with Stanley riding beside him. Gaston looked down at the path, following the hoof-shaped dents in the dirt, hoping to see where LeFou’s horse had come from and hoping that LeFou hadn't gone too far from when he first lost her.

“We’ll only find one set of tracks,” Stanley interrupted Gaston's thoughts, “since the storm would have washed away the tracks from when LeFou came here.”

“We could at least try to find something!” Gaston frowned at Stanley, who narrowed his eyes in return.

“You don't have to yell at me because of something the storm did!” Stanley snapped back.

“I'm not yelling!” Gaston yelled. He went back to looking at the ground, ignoring Stanley's disapproving stare.

“Gaston, I understand that you're worried. I am as well, but yelling won’t help us find LeFou any easier,” Stanley reached over and placed his hand on Gaston’s arm. “Calm down, I’m sure we'll find LeFou soon.”

Gaston closed his eyes and breathed in heavily. He opened his eyes and looked up, pointing at a fork in the path. “Maybe there's something up there that could tell us where he went?”

Stanley gave Gaston a small smile, nodding. “Come on, don't want to keep LeFou waiting.”

They reached the split path, and worry settled even deeper in Gaston's mind as he noticed what looked like human footprints, mixed with paw prints that could only be from a wolf. Gaston and Stanley rode fast, following the footprints until they faded out, along with the wolf prints. “I'm sure LeFou outran the wolves,” Stanley tried to reassure Gaston, although he didn't sound so sure himself.

Gaston and Stanley continued to ride in silence. Gaston listened for anything that could point him to where LeFou might be. He refused to believe that the wolves had gotten him, that anything bad could have happened to the man that had stuck by his side all their lives.

“Gaston,” Stanley whispered, getting Gaston's attention. “Listen.” The two sat in absolute silence, Gaston was about to tell Stanley that there wasn't anything there when he heard quiet humming coming from a cave entrance nearby.

Gaston dismounted his horse, tying LeFou’s horse to his horse’s saddle. Stanley dismounted as well, following Gaston through the bushes and fallen branches towards the cave. Once they reached the entrance, Gaston heard Stanley gasp, and for once Gaston was lost for words.

In the corner of the cave sat LeFou, who had closed his eyes and was quietly humming to himself. Gaston could tell from where he stood that LeFou was cold, seeing the small man shiver slightly. Walking over, careful not to scare the smaller man, Gaston kneeled down in front of LeFou. “LeFou?” Gaston placed his hands over one of LeFou’s hands. LeFou flinched, opening his eyes slowly.

LeFou opened his mouth, presumably to say something, but no words came out. Stanley walked over and squatted down. “Gaston, we need to get him home quickly,” he said. Gaston nodded, standing up.

“LeFou, can you walk?” Gaston asked. LeFou shrugged in reply, slowly picking himself up off the ground. Stanley stood beside him, a hand on LeFou’s arm to steady him. Taking shaky steps, LeFou slowly walked between Stanley and Gaston.

They eventually reached the place where Gaston and Stanley had left their horses. Stanley untied LeFou’s horse from Gaston's saddle and mounted his own horse, while Gaston helped LeFou up onto the tall black stallion. Once LeFou was comfortable Gaston mounted the horse, sat behind him and held the reins.

As they rode home, Gaston felt LeFou slowly relax in the saddle, leaning back against Gaston’s chest. Gaston looked back at Stanley to make sure he was still there and hadn't gotten lost as well. Stanley was staring straight ahead, looking like he was trying to avoid looking at Gaston. Gaston pulled on the reins, slowing his horse down to walk beside Stanley's horse.

“What's wrong?” Gaston asked Stanley, who was still staring ahead. Gaston noticed Stanley's hands tighten around the reins of his and LeFou’s horses. Gaston looked at LeFou, who was quietly leaning against Gaston and looking at the passing trees. “If you don't want to tell me now, at least tell me when we return home,” Gaston added. Stanley mumbled a small ‘fine’ that Gaston almost didn't catch. Sighing, Gaston rode ahead, turning down the path that lead back to the village.

LeFou’s eyes started to close, and Gaston nudged him. “LeFou, you can't fall asleep right now. Can you wait until we get home?” Gaston said quietly. LeFou mumbled something that Gaston didn't understand, but he kept his eyes open the rest of the ride home.

They rode through town, stopping in front of Gaston’s house. Gaston dismounted and carefully helped LeFou down from the horse without him falling off. “I'll put the horses in the stable,” Stanley said, taking the reins of Gaston's horse from Gaston's hands. Gaston frowned at Stanley's tone, but ignored the thought for the moment in favour of getting LeFou inside and warmed up.

Half carrying LeFou up the stairs, Gaston placed LeFou on the bed. By the time LeFou was settled in, Stanley walked up the stairs, signified by a squeaking noise and Stanley muttering a curse. Gaston took off his coat and wrapped it around LeFou’s shoulders. Stanley walked up beside Gaston. “We need to warm LeFou up more than that. He's been outside all night, and during a thunderstorm at that,” Stanley said.

Gaston watched as Stanley crawled into the bed beside LeFou. Gaston stood still, his fingers playing with the collar of his shirt. Stanley sighed. “Gaston, if you want to warm LeFou up, get in the bed.” Stanley motioned to the other side of LeFou with his head.

“Are you sure this is the best way?” Gaston asked, being interrupted by Stanley standing up and grabbing his wrist. Before Gaston could protest, he was pushed into the bed at LeFou’s feet. He shuffled back against the wall as Stanley kneeled on the bed in front of him.

“I don't want to have this conversation with LeFou right there,” Stanley said, leaning closer to Gaston. Stanley placed his hands on the wall either side of Gaston's head. “If you want to be more comfortable, just pretend you're going to sleep normally without LeFou and I here. But at least help me warm LeFou up so he doesn't get extremely sick.”

Stanley removed his hands and got off the bed, turning around and pulling off his boots. Gaston tried to slow his breathing down, unsure of when it had sped up. He got off the bed as well, tapping Stanley's shoulder to get his attention. Stanley turned around with a confused expression. “Come here,” Gaston said, walking out of the room.

Stanley followed and Gaston closed the door when they were both standing outside the room. “What do you want, Gaston?” Stanley asked.

“You said you would tell me what was wrong once we were home,” Gaston explained. Stanley's body posture changed from somewhat defensive to what Gaston would expect a child getting told of would look like.

“Can we not talk about this right now?” Gaston was surprised at the quiet sounding voice Stanley used. Gaston placed his hands onto Stanley’s shoulders.

“Stanley, you're my friend. You can tell me anything,” Gaston whispered loud enough so that Stanley could hear.

Stanley shook his head in reply. “This is something I probably shouldn't tell you,” he said. The sound of movement in the bedroom interrupted the two. “We should probably get back to LeFou.” Gaston nodded and removed his hands, letting Stanley open the door.

Gaston followed Stanley in and closed the door once he stepped inside. Stanley had taken off his coat and had his hands on the top button of his shirt. “Do you mind if I?” Stanley trailed off, but Gaston still knew what he meant, and made a ‘go ahead’ motion with his hands.

Stanley continued to unbutton his shirt as Gaston climbed into the side of the bed closest to the wall. Gaston felt the weight in the bed shift as Stanley crawled in. Although the sun was only just setting, making bright orange rays shine through the window, Gaston stifled a yawn and shifted into a more comfortable position.

LeFou shifted in between the two men and Gaston froze, not wanting to wake his friend up. LeFou eventually settled down and Gaston heard someone sigh quietly, unsure if it was LeFou or Stanley who had made the noise.

When Gaston assumed both men had fallen asleep, he rolled over onto his back in the small space he had on the bed. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, trying to calm down his racing mind. He felt LeFou move beside him and he froze, pretending to be asleep. He opened his eyes again once LeFou had stopped moving and turned his head.

He was surprised when he was met with a very-much-awake LeFou in front of him. LeFou looked very tired, with his eyes half-lidded. He smiled sleepily at Gaston, who returned it, and moved closer in the bed, leaning his head in the crook of Gaston’s neck. Gaston looked over at Stanley, who was curled in on himself on the other side of the bed.

Gaston felt his eyelids become heavy and he shifted until he was lying on his side, LeFou shifting slightly as well. They eventually found a comfortable position, with one of Gaston's arms draped over LeFou’s waist and another being used as a half-pillow by LeFou. LeFou had moved his head so that it was tucked between Gaston's arm and chest. It wasn't long before Gaston's eyes closed and he let the comforting darkness of sleep overtake him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to point out any errors in spelling or grammar.
> 
> Kudos and Comments are greatly appreciated! :)


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stanley wakes up.

Stanley woke up with in a bed that wasn't his and with people who were not Tom and Dick, so it ruled out the thought that he had gotten too drunk and ended up crawling into bed with Tom and Dick, which happened a bit more that Stanley liked to admit.

Then Stanley remembered the previous night, making him relax into the bed. LeFou was asleep in front of him, eyes flickering underneath his eyelids as he slept. Someone shifted behind him, and Stanley froze. He distinctly remembered going to sleep on the edge of the bed with LeFou beside him.

It was at that moment that Stanley realised the arm around his waist. Stanley could only assume that it was Gaston, since Stanley had also somehow moved to the middle of the bed and was lying in between LeFou and Gaston.

Gaston started to move around so Stanley relaxed and closed his eyes, pretending to be asleep. Gaston tightened his grip around Stanley’s waist, pulling Stanley closer towards him. Stanley could feel Gaston's breath on the back of his neck.

Stanley felt Gaston’s breathing pattern change as he woke up. Expecting Gaston to remove his arm from Stanley's waist, it surprised Stanley when Gaston instead - after a few seconds of stillness - ended up slowly moving in the bed and into a more comfortable position. Gaston's arm had not moved, but his hand was now residing near Stanley's stomach, his fingers dusting against Stanley's skin as the younger man breathed.

Stanley relaxed into Gaston's embrace, his back pressing against Gaston's chest. Warmth radiated from Gaston's body, greatly contrasting how cold Stanley felt without his shirt on - and the night air that was coming through the window didn't help his body warm up. Stanley closed his eyes once more, falling asleep in the comforting embrace of his friend.

<>–<>–<>–<>

Stanley woke up to birds singing outside. A blanket that had been covering his torso fell to the side as he sat up. Stanley looked around the room, finding himself alone. Hearing voices from downstairs, Stanley assumed that Gaston and LeFou were already awake.

Stanley stretched and got out of the bed. He walked over to the open door and walked down the stairs, wincing when a loud creak sounded from the stair beneath him. A quiet laugh sounded from downstairs, followed by coughing.

Walking down the rest of the stairs and running a hand through his hair, Stanley smiled sleepily at LeFou, who was sitting on the couch with his legs in front of him, and Gaston, who was sitting on a chair he had likely dragged over from the table.

Gaston looked up from his chair and tensed when he saw Stanley. LeFou just flicked his eyes between Stanley and Gaston with a knowing smile on his face. Stanley frowned as he looked at Gaston, wondering why he was staring, before realising that he hadn't put on his shirt. Stanley felt his cheeks heat up slightly as he silently pointed back at the stairs, turning and bounding back up them and into the bedroom.

Stanley quickly put on his shirt and ran a hand through his hair to try and tame the wild mess it had become overnight. He walked back down the stairs and awkwardly walked towards the table, avoiding meeting Gaston's gaze as he watched Stanley sit down.

An uncomfortable silence hung in the air of the house, with Stanley staring down at the floor, Gaston not-so-subtly looking between his hands and Stanley, and LeFou looking between the two.

The silence was interrupted by Gaston standing up abruptly. LeFou didn't move much, but Stanley flinched slightly, his hand instinctively going towards where his sword would have sat at his waist. Before Stanley or LeFou could question Gaston, he walked towards Stanley and grabbed the younger’s wrists.  
Gaston pulled Stanley up from the chair and half-dragged him up the stairs and into the bedroom. Once the door had closed, Gaston sat down on his bed and ran a hand through his hair. Stanley stood on the other side of the room, shuffling his feet as he stared at Gaston, waiting for the man on the bed to say something.

A few long seconds later, Gaston sighed and looked up at Stanley. “Are we going to ignore what happened last night?” Gaston asked.

“The fact that you, LeFou and I slept in the same bed together, or the,” Stanley paused and swallowed nervously, “the other thing?”

“The other thing,” Gaston replied. When Stanley didn't respond Gaston pushed himself off the bed. “Stanley, we can't just ignore what happened,” he took a few tentative steps towards Stanley, like he would run off like a startled deer at any sudden movements. “Two men don't usually sleep together like that, or even in the same bed together.”

Stanley thought about the memories that clashed with Gaston's last sentence; the time he ‘discovered’ that he liked men, the first time he found Tom and Dick asleep in each other's arms, the first time he came home extremely drunk and ended up sleeping with Tom and Dick. But although these things had happened before, Stanley realised Gaston was probably right. Men didn't usually sleep together in the same bed, or as intimately as he and Gaston did last night.

Stanley was pulled out of his thoughts by a hand on his shoulder. He blinked quickly and rubbed his eyes with the arm that Gaston wasn't touching. Realising that Gaston was waiting for an answer, Stanley looked down at the ground. “If you don't want to talk about it, it's fine. I understand if you don't want to.” Stanley leaned back against the bedroom door, unsure himself whether he was trying to get away from the conversation or Gaston.

Gaston breathed deeply, patting Stanley's shoulder softly and removing his hand. “I suppose you should be getting back to Tom and Dick?” Gaston asked. Stanley watched Gaston's boots as he stepped back.

Stanley shrugged. “I can help you look after LeFou if you want me to. He’s bound to become sick from being out in the rain all night,” he offered. Before Gaston could answer the offer, loud coughing sounded from downstairs.

Stanley stepped away from the door as Gaston reached for the handle and pulled it open. He disappeared from Stanley's sight as he went downstairs. Stanley stood in the room for a few seconds, closing his eyes and taking deep breaths. He opened his eyes after a few breaths and walked down the stairs after Gaston.

Rubbing at his eyes as he walked down the stairs, Stanley told himself that he would leave the house once he was sure LeFou was okay. Stanley stepped off the last stair to see that Gaston had taken up the space on the couch next to LeFou. LeFou was leaning against Gaston's shoulder, his eyes half-closed and his fingers drawing patterns on Gaston's leg.

Stanley sighed softly. He walked towards the door and reached for the handle. He was interrupted by Gaston asking where he was going. “I'm going home,” Stanley replied quietly, surprised when Gaston actually heard him.

He pushed open the door and closed it behind him. Stanley took a deep breath, the cold morning air burning his nose. He quickly walked through the busy town, dodging people trying to talk to him and heading straight to his home.

Pushing open the door, Stanley toed off his boots and left them by the door. He took a deep breath and was hit by the smell of something cooking. He made his way to the kitchen, and was met by the sight of Tom sitting on the small table and Dick sitting in a chair in front of him. As Stanley walked up, Tom and Dick turned their heads to face him.

Dick smiled at Stanley, while Tom looked at Stanley with a smirk that looked far too suggestive for Stanley's liking. “So, you weren't home last night,” Tom said smugly.

Stanley pointed a finger at him and glared. “Don't you dare say what I think you're about to say.”

Tom just gave Stanley and innocent smile. “I have no idea what you're talking about.” Dick hit Tom on the knee lightly. “Fine, I won't,” Tom said, although the wink directed at Stanley implied otherwise.

Dick just shook his head in defeat. “So,” he asked Stanley, “I assume you stayed at LeFou’s house?”

It took a while for Stanley to process what Dick had said, but when he realised he felt his cheeks heat up in embarrassment. “No,” Stanley muttered. Tom laughed, although it sounded more like a snort. “I stayed at Gaston's house.”

“Gaston?” Tom asked confusedly. “Why were you at his house?”

Stanley took in a deep breath, and proceeded to tell Tom and Dick what had happened the night before, leaving out parts and changing things around a bit to avoid the fact that he, Gaston and LeFou all slept in the same bed.

“So, if Gaston and LeFou slept in Gaston’s bed, where did you end up sleeping?” Dick asked after Stanley finished the story.

“I slept on the couch,” Stanley replied, fidgeting his hands behind his back. Dick looked at him disbelievingly, but didn't push any further. Stanley was offered some food by Tom, and he gratefully accepted. As he ate, Stanley was told multiple times by Dick to ‘slow down or you'll choke on your food.’

Once Stanley finished his food, he excused himself to his bedroom to change out of the clothes he was wearing. A knock on the door, followed by the door opening, startled him and he jumped slightly. Stanley turned to whoever had opened the door, finding Dick closing the door behind him. Stanley was silent until Dick turned back around to face him.

“Are you okay, Stanley?” Dick asked.

Stanley nodded in reply, “Why wouldn't I be?”

“Because you were lying to me and Tom when you said that you slept on the couch,” Dick said. At Stanley’s confused look, he added: “I know when people are lying to me, Stanley.” Stanley sat down on his bed and sighed. Dick sat beside him. “Where did you actually sleep, Stanley?”

It was silent in the room for a while, before Stanley answered. “I slept in Gaston's bed,” he said, so quietly that Stanley was surprised when Dick actually responded.

“You sleep with me and Tom a lot, why were you so shy in saying it?”

“Because LeFou was there and…” Stanley trailed off.

“You don't have to tell me if you don't want to,” Dick reassured Stanley and started drawing circles on his back.

“No, it's fine,” Stanley said. “I uh, I might maybe like someone else aside from LeFou.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that it's short, and for the not really cliffhanger because you all probably know who Stan likes.
> 
> Kudos and Comments are greatly appreciated! Thanks for reading :)


	6. A/N

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A Note

Hello everyone!

I’m really happy at how many of you guys actually liked this story, but unfortunately I am going to leave this story incomplete.

There are some reasons behind this, mainly that I am not invested in the BatB fandom as I once was, and that I do not have the energy to continue writing.

I will, however, allow anyone to adopt this work as their own (just please credit me). If you are interested in adopting this work, please message me on Tumblr or Instagram (@arrowace13 for both).

Once again, thank you everyone for the support, it makes me happy to read all of your comments!

\- ThirteenthMouse6572


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